Mill Creek Snow Canoeing

What do you do when you have an unexpected snow or ice day? You find adventure wherever possible. In the South, we are rightly cautious and excited when snow comes our way and we literally don’t know how to act when everything freezes. Luckily, I learned from some of the best in Utah and can move around confidently in this weather. Even though everyone else was staying in, I wanted to get out! My roommate had been saying for weeks that upon the first snow, he wanted to go canoeing. Being an adventurer, I was in! We looked on the Cumberland River Compact’s website for put in spots and found some off Petus and Blue Hole roads. With layers on and the canoe loaded, we were off!

You wouldn’t believe how heavy a canoe is when it is covered with a sheet of ice! Luckily, it was easy to push along the ground. This location is around Petus road and is an excellent put in spot because there is parking and a little path that is wide enough for your canoe. Just out of sight were some steps to easily walk down to the creek’s edge. With a couple of pushes and delicately getting into the canoe, we were officially canoeing during winter storm Octavia.

There is really something quite beautiful about paddling through icy water. It looks really quiet, but the area was actually teeming with life. Among the different creatures we encountered were Kingfishers, Cardinals, and ducks. Throughout our journey we kept catching up to a few ducks who were probably annoyed by our consistent following. They got a little rest though because we were easily bogged down by shallow sections. We thought everything was going well until….

Suddenly the creek was only about 4 inches deep requiring portaging. Turns out that portaging on frozen ground is more fun than a chore. The canoe easily slides across the ground. It gave us a chance to stretch our legs a bit and imbibe a spirit or two.

After working pretty hard and getting warm, we were able to have a little reprieve in the straights. We finally had smooth sailing. Eventually we had to keep moving so our hands wouldn’t freeze.

It wouldn’t have been an adventure without a little more solid snow and ice to work through during the last bend. Several people were taking our picture no doubt thinking we were crazy wanting to canoe during a winter storm. After loading the canoe back on the car, we head home for some well deserved hot chocolate.